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Patient Endurance
Perseverance on the part of the saint is the prime requisite of the overcomer. Patient endurance under life’s tremendous testing trials is the saint’s chief objective. And believers in Philadelphia were commended for their patient endurance: because you have kept My command to persevere… to patiently endure.
Precious Promise
They are promised they will not be overwhelmed by the onslaught from Satan. Satan, that slippery serpent, that overcome Job’s wife in her trials and Demas in his. Satan, that evil fallen angel, who overcame all but two of the wilderness wanderers. Satan, that demonic devil, whose aim is to shipwreck the perseverance of all God’s children.
Prime Requisite
Perseverance on the part of the saint is the prime requisite for the overcomer, and overcoming is the fruitful consequence of the perseverance of the saints of God. For fruitful works (works of righteousness), emanate from the one who perseveres. But the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan seeks his downfall, and the church epistles are saturated with the need for the saint’s perseverance.
Tremendous Trials
Patient endurance under life’s tremendous trials and testing is the saints chief object, and overcoming is the beneficial product of a believer who patiently-endures – and works of righteousness are the clean, bright, shining clothes of the bride.
Eternal Security
Satan can never destroy a saints eternal security, but is set to disqualify his rewards. Peter and James and John and Paul all tell, in urgent tones, the importance of endurance. The Scriptures are flooded with examples of saints, taken to the hope’s extremity. Men and maids, exhausted by the Satan’s onslaught, who remained faithful to God. Guys and gals, pursued by the enemy’s assaults, who sadly yielded under pressure – nations and individuals, at the limits of endurance, who witnessed His deliverance.
God is Faithful
And the church composed of a small faithful remnant of good, faithful servants is told by her Lord to hold fast.. to hold fast to the end: hold fast that no one take their reward. Trial and temptations, however dreadful and distressing are the experience of all: for no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13
Encouraging Word
And down through the centuries, Christ’s words have spurred sagging saints on to victory: behold, I am coming quickly – hold fast to what you have, that no one may take your crown. Revelation 3:11. Six times this word ‘quickly‘ is rehearsed in these passages. Six times Christ’s encouraging, I come quickly, falls in these saints ears.
Urgent Word
Contextually, the urgency of this statement is connected with suddenness. The frame of reference for this word.. quickly, is the swiftness of Christ’s appearing. Saints taken to the extreme limit of their endurance under life’s trials and testings, are exhorted to hold on.. hold on to what you have and don’t give up: for behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast to what you have, that no one may take your crown. Revelation 3:11 For the return of the Lord Jesus for His Church is very near: behold, I am coming quickly!
His Soon Appearing
Christ is offering rewards to the man or woman that will overcome in this world, and the 1 warning this spiritual church is given is that of their potential loss is to hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. Crowns are the attire of regal power and the badge of kingly authority and Christ is seeking overcomers to rule and reign in His soon coming kingdom.
Soon Return
May each of us however beset by the taunts and torments of the evil one, hold fast to what we have, that no one take our crown. May none of us fall at the final hurdle as we watch for the soon return of our Lord: for behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast to what you have, that no one may take your crown. Behold, I am coming quickly!
Bible References
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
17 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;
2 Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills.
3 O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders.
4 And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever.
5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.
6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
11 As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.
12 A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.
13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.
14 Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.
15 Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the Lord? let it come now.
16 As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.
17 Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil.
18 Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.
19 Thus said the Lord unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;
20 And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the Lord, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:
21 Thus saith the Lord; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;
22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.
23 But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.
24 And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;
25 Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever.
26 And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the Lord.
27 But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
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